Mischief Mismanaged
by HattieTheGreat
Summary: A pureblood witch, born with a rare gift, finds herself being suddenly thrown into a world of war as Voldemort once again rises to power. As time goes on, she finds herself fighting the desire to rebel, arguing with a pesky voice in her head and dealing with recurring nightmares, fuelled by her past, and let's not forget about the certain redhead that manages to catch her eye.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - Hi guys! This is a story I started quite a while ago, and lately it's just been sat in my documents folder, collecting dust, but after a hell of a lot of encouragement (and nagging) from a certain someone, I've decided to post it. This is my first ever proper fic so please be nice and reviews are always welcome and are greatly appreciated, but no flames, please! Enjoy :)**

**I own nothing other than a laptop and set of Harry Potter books.**

The atmosphere was stifling, static stacking up in mounds as the air grew suffocating. Peeling back the yellowing, moth-eaten netting, she peered out the window at the deserted garden, which stretched into the bleak darkness, reaching into the horizon as she squinted into the blackness that engulfed the outside world. The velvety sky, blotted with streaks of inky black, was clear, illuminated by the silvery moonlight. Towards the ends of her vision sat a lantern, illuminating the lone tree that stood beside it, bathing it in the haunting, golden light. The coarse mahogany bark twisted, engraved with intricate lines and swirls and etched with deep crevices; warped, jagged branches jutted from the rough surface like blades, reaching towards the night sky. Leaves of jade sprouted from the twisting spikes, hanging limp in the night. Beneath the shade of the tree sat a pond, burrowed deep into the ground, the glistening surface of the murky water glowing incandescently, reflecting the silver orb hanging high in the sky amongst the swirling shades of bottle green and sheer blackness, which danced iridescently atop the rippling water. Gleaming lumps of moisture bubbled at the surface, collecting around the willowy strands of greenery rising from the water like statues. Quietly, she unlatched the rusting lock, daintily pushing open the window with her fingertips. The crisp night air, still damp and humid from the rain that had cascaded from the granite sky earlier that evening, flooded in around her and she wrinkled her nose as the dank smell of decomposing leaves wafted in from the garden. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, her raven hair grazing her shoulders, and she felt her lungs swell as she sucked in the cool, clean air. A faint breeze whispered through the trees, lazily brushing against the leaves, and crept through the overgrown grass.

The lightbulb above her head, which dimly illuminated the shadowy room, flickered and footsteps echoed outside her door, growing louder with every step. Sighing, she opened her eyes and tugged the heavy velvet curtains closed. She drew her breath, internally counting down the seconds before the sound of knuckles rapping against wood rattled through her ears.

"Come in," She answered after a moment's hesitation.

Before the words had even finished tumbling from her lips, the door creaked open, streams of blinding light from the hall flooding the room, bathing the girl in gold. Alianora Black surveyed the room, her slender, needle-like fingers releasing the ornate doorknob as she glided through the doorway, an aura of poise and grace surrounding her. Her gaze settled on her daughter, and a faint smile played on her lips for the briefest moment.

"Astrid, have you packed?" She asked, her even tone lacking an ounce of emotion.

"Yes, mother." Astrid Black nodded, gesturing to the mahogany trunk in the corner, bound in a tangle of leather and silver buckles.

"Now are you sure you want to go?" Alianora inevitably asked for the hundredth time, "I mean, you only have one more year of education left, it makes sense for me to continue home-schooling you..."

Astrid cut her mother off with a sigh, exhaling deeply, "Mother, we've discussed this – I'm spending my final school year at Hogwarts."

"But..." Alianora protested.

"I'm going, mother." Astrid said, her voice laced with warning. She had spent years begging her parents to let her go to Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry, only to have them insist on home-schooling her so that her mind wouldn't be corrupted by headmaster Albus Dumbledore – now, at age seventeen, she wasn't going to let her mother deprive her of her final chance at escape. As it was, her parents had only relented upon learning that the Ministry of Magic was finally intervening at Hogwarts. This had greatly pleased her parents, who were ecstatic that wizards like Dumbledore and the famous Harry Potter could no longer taint people's minds, spouting drivel about their beloved _dark lord_.

Alianora sighed and perched on the end of the bed, smoothing the satin bedspread as she gestured for Astrid to sit beside her. Astrid obeyed, retreating to the bed, and tentatively lowered herself beside her mother, who sighed once more.

"So stubborn, just like your father," She paused, tilting her chin as she looked at her daughter with eyes so dark that they were black holes, the irises blending seamlessly into the pupils, "I just want what's best for you,"

"I know," Astrid recited, knowing her script by heart by now. Truth be told, she knew that her mother didn't want that. Her mother didn't care what was best for her. However, she also knew exactly what her mother wanted to hear.

"I don't want you to be corrupted by all those filthy mudbloods," Alianora spat, disgust flickering in her eyes.

"I won't even look at them." Astrid replied without missing a beat.

"Nor the disgusting blood traitors?" Alianora wrinkled her nose in revulsion.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Astrid answered quickly, her crossed fingers concealed behind her back.

"Good." Alianora nodded, considering this to be a sufficient answer, the corners of her lips tugging upwards as she strained to attempt a faint smile, "I don't want _filth_ like that tainting my daughters mind."

Astrid nodded, feigning agreement with her parent's backwards views on blood purity and all that nonsense. It was simpler that way.

Alianora sighed once more, somewhat sadly, and looked carefully at the girl beside her.

"Look at you, so grown up now," She started softly, brushing her daughter's raven tresses back from her face, tucking them behind her ear in an attempt at an affectionate, motherly gesture; the result feeling mechanical and robotic.

"Seventeen is hardly grown up," Astrid pointed out, smiling faintly.

"To think, only one more year before you join us, fighting at the Dark Lord's side as we restore purity to this world." Her eyes misted over, her mind elsewhere as she thought of the near future, the future they had been planning Astrid's whole life.

Astrid winced, wrinkling her nose at her mother's words. She loathed the constant reminder of her future as a Death Eater, following the Black family tradition started by her father, Sylvanus Black, when he and his cousin Orion Black first heard of the initial rise of the Dark Lord years ago. Thankfully, Alianora was oblivious and Astrid's reaction went unnoticed as she ploughed on, "Your _special gift_ will be very useful to the Dark Lord, Astrid. Very useful, indeed." She mused.

Astrid flinched once more. She despised the fact that her parents saw her greatest weakness to be a gift, mere leverage to get themselves in favour with their master. Granted, she had a _power_, a very unique and rare power possessed by only a handful of witches and wizards over time, but it was certainly not a gift. No, it was a curse; a burden.

"I know." She choked out quietly; scared to think of how badly the Dark Lord would abuse such a power being at his disposal. It would be chaos. Closing her eyes, Astrid shook her head, ridding her mind of such thoughts.

"It's getting late." Alianora said finally, rising to her feet, "Goodnight Astrid," She planted a reluctant kiss on her daughter's forehead, before wordlessly retreating out of the room, the door closing behind her with a soft click.

Astrid sighed and whispered into the darkness, "Goodnight mother."

~MischiefMismanagedMischiefMismanagedMischiefMismanaged~

The station was heaving when the Black family arrived at the platform, muggles dotted around everywhere. Nerves bubbled up within Astrid, a lump rising in her throat as she tried to calm the wild butterflies fluttering inside her. Stifling a yawn, she raised a hand to her mouth. She hadn't been able to sleep the night before, nerves eating away at her, gnawing at her insides as she began to overthink every thought that passed through her mind in excruciating detail until eventually every thought blended into the next, tumbling into a jumbled blur. She'd tossed and turned, tangled in her sheets, worrying over every single thing that could go wrong as she willed her own inner voice to shut up, scrunching her eyes closed as she tried to force herself to sleep. She trailed behind her parents, pushing the heavy cart as she maneuvered around obstacles, cringing and apologising profusely as she clipped agitated muggles, accidentally ramming her trunk into them. Sylvanus Black led the way, with Astrid following close behind her mother. Alianora held her head high, her upturned nose stuck in the air as she eyed everyone with disdain, tutting every so often. Astrid kept her eyes fixed on her mother as she followed, hoping to recreate the elegance and grace her mother walked with. Alianora's dark, silk robes swished around her ankles as the crisp breeze billowed through the fabric, her gaze remaining confident and superior as muggles cast odd looks in her direction. Her platinum hair was scraped back tightly in an elegant chignon, which bobbed with every step she took, and her pale skin had an almost haunting glow surrounding it. She strode with pride and authority, much like her husband, in great contrast to the meek girl trailing behind, stumbling to keep up.

They ground to a halt, suddenly, with Astrid almost crashing straight into her parents at the abrupt stop.

"This here is the barrier, now, you remember what to do?" Alianora began, smoothing her daughter's hair.

"Yes, mother." Astrid nodded, batting her mother away.

"And you're certain that you want to go?" Alianora asked once more, luckily for the final time.

"Yes, mother."

"Promise?"

"Yes, mother."

"Okay, very well then." Alianora nodded, stepping back, "Goodbye,"

"Goodbye mother," Astrid smiled faintly before turning to her father, who remained silent. Astrid was far from surprised that he was yet to utter a word to her, he rarely ever did. She only ever really recalled him uttering more than a single sentence to her when she was being scolded. He'd always preferred to communicate with her through her mother instead. He stood oozing superiority, his unyielding gaze fixed on the wall behind his daughter, his eyes looking straight over her head. Astrid looked up at him, drinking in his appearance. She knew he was considered to be a somewhat attractive man, with a muscular build, a chiseled jaw that could cut glass, cropped, inky hair, which was greying at the temples, and pale eyes that could look straight through a person. But the man had no depth; no soul; no heart. Astrid was baffled as to how her mother, who she supposed at least had _some_ good in her, could love such a man.

"Father," She spoke quietly, unsure of herself.

Slowly, he lowered his gaze to look his shaking daughter in the eye, his expression unreadable as he waited for her to say more.

"I'll miss you." She said after a moment, doubting the truth behind that.

He drew in a sharp intake of breath, his eyes widening in momentary surprise before he spoke, his tone cold and emotionless, "And you."

Astrid nodded, doubting that even more than her own comment, and began to retreat away from the pair when her mother suddenly reached out, grabbing hold of her sleeve. She pulled her into an unexpected hug, and Astrid softened slightly into her mother's stiff grip, gently patting the woman on the back. Astrid had only ever seen such affection from her mother on a handful of occasions as of late, and was touched by the gesture. It's was moments like this that gave Astrid a glimmer of hope that her mother truly did love her, because despite all her faults, Astrid still loved her mother dearly – she was all she had left.

"Write to us." Her mother said plainly, drawing back to look her daughter in the eyes.

"I promise." Astrid smiled, releasing her mother, who was clearly still uncomfortable with such displays of affection.

Without another word, her parents disappeared into the crowd and Astrid found herself alone. Taking a deep breath, she turned, securing her shaking hands around the handlebar of her cart, her fingers tightly curling themselves around the metal. Drawing her breath, she scrunched her eyes shut and launched herself forward, staggering towards the barrier at full-force. She flinched, prepared for the impact that never came as she hit the wall. All of a sudden, there was nothing but darkness, swallowing her whole, but before it had the chance to fully engulf her, she was on the other side, bathed in light. Beams of golden sunlight hit her face as she tilted her chin upward, igniting her skin. Opening her eyes, she felt her breath hitch in her throat as excitement welled up within her. On the tracks before her was the familiar Hogwarts Express that she'd heard so much about. Billows of smoke rose from the scarlet steam engine, dancing around her and drifting lazily up into the vibrant, azure sky. Noise flooded around her, rattling through her ears as throngs of people ran past her, clambering excitedly onto the train. It was everything she'd hoped it would be and more. Smiling to herself as another student brushed past her, she followed suit and climbed aboard the train, ready to take the first step towards freedom.


	2. Chapter 2

**Once again, I only own a laptop and a set of Harry Potter books. Enjoy! :)**

Pressing her forehead against the cool glass, Astrid Black watched the world pass by in a blur, every image blending seamlessly into the next, the scene mesmerising her. The azure sky was streaked with beams of gold, blotted with an array of blue and dusted with swirls of white; the faint remains of clouds littering the vibrant sky. The sun beat down on the train fiercely, its light blinding as golden rays filtered through the narrows gaps in the towering trees, which stood gallantly, lining the open space. The rolling hills, painted vibrant emerald, stretched on for miles, reaching into the horizon where fields of jade touched blue. Shimmering streams, glistening as the light met the water, cut through the overgrown grass, twisting and twirling through the mud as the water steadily flowed, lapping against sandy pebbles.

Having lived a sheltered life, scenes of this calibre were like nothing Astrid had ever seen before, and they completely captivated her as she looked at them in wonder. Everything felt so new and fresh to her and for the first time in her life, she felt free. But still, beneath all the excitement, she couldn't shake the feeling that coming to Hogwarts was a mistake. She was going to stick out like a sore thumb being the only new kid getting sorted that wasn't a bloody first year. Oh Merlin, the sorting. She wholeheartedly dreaded the sorting. As far as she was concerned, it was embarrassing enough to be sorted into a house in front of the whole school when you've been there all of five minutes, but to add in the fact that she would be stood amongst people six years younger than her, towering over them as she waited her turn, well that was horrific. She didn't even know why she had to be sorted – she came from a family of Slytherin's, she would be no exception. Sighing, Astrid pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind to be revisited on a rainy day – now was not the time for doubt. She looked around the empty compartment and sighed once more. When she'd first boarded the train, she had considered herself lucky to have found an empty compartment to set up camp in, but now as they drew near to Hogwarts and a steady stream of people continued to peer into the compartment, see her, hesitate and then walk away in search of a different seat, she couldn't help but feel disheartened. She'd hoped to at least talk to someone before arriving at Hogwarts, she'd even naively believed she might make a friend on the journey. _Stupid girl_, she scolded herself.

Her mother had tried to encourage her, reeling off a list of respectable pureblood families that had children she could befriend within the school, but somehow Astrid didn't feel like approaching every student and asking for their surname to see if they were Alianora approved. Her father had even mentioned the night before that she could search for her somewhat distant relative Draco Malfoy, but Astrid viewed him as an insufferable, arrogant git and would rather have gouged her eyes out with a spoon than been caught up in conversation with him. Drawing back from the window, Astrid tilted her head back, staring up at the ceiling of the compartment, counting the scuffs and marks to pass the time until her adventure could truly begin.

~MischiefMismanagedMischiefMismanagedMischiefMismanaged~

As darkness descended on Hogwarts Castle, stars dotting the navy streaked sky, Astrid couldn't help but feel the nerves bubbling within her grow harder and harder to control. When she had stumbled off of the train onto the Hogsmeade platform, teetering on the edge of the herd of students as everyone ambled forward, it hadn't been long before a hand had suddenly gripped hold of her arm, plucking her from the crowd. The hand, it turned out, had belonged to Professor Minerva McGonagall, deputy headmistress of Hogwarts, who Astrid had met once before, at a meeting over the summer to discuss her transfer arrangements. McGonagall explained that Dumbledore had arranged for the professor to escort Astrid to the castle herself, and with that, they swiftly set off. As they climbed the steps to the towering entrance, McGonagall spoke up for the first time since they'd left the station.

"Are you nervous?"

"Honestly?" Astrid answered without missing a beat, glancing over at the professor.

"Yes, dear." McGonagall replied, looking over at the young girl in surprise.

Astrid hesitated, before answering quietly, "I'm terrified."

McGonagall nodded in understanding, having expected this answer from the girl, "Don't be."

Astrid opened her mouth to respond, but before her lips could form any words, she was being ushered through the door and sent stumbling into a crowd of first years. McGonagall quickly reached out, steadying the girl, and cleared her throat, turning all attention to her.

"Welcome first years," She spoke clearly, her eyes scanning the crowd, "Now in a minute, I'll be taking you through to the Great Hall where you'll all be sorted, but first..."

Astrid shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably as she tuned out the teacher's long-winded speech, absently tugging at her robes as she felt herself start to blush profusely, heat rushing to her cheeks, at the feel of curious eyes boring into her.

"Any questions?" McGonagall asked, her speech drawing to a close. Several blank faces stared back at her, nobody making a sound. Sighing, she averted her attention to the oldest student, giving her a gentle nudge, "You'll be sorted first, dear."

"Oh goody." Astrid muttered under her breath, wringing her hands as the knots grew tight in her stomach, her organs tangled together.

Taking a deep breath, Astrid sucked in all the air she could muster as the towering, heavy doors opened to reveal the packed Great Hall. As Professor McGonagall began to lead the throng of students inside, Astrid remained rooted to the spot. Her feet were stuck planted firmly to the ground as she willed herself to move, her shoes plastered to the floor. Suddenly, an impatient first year stuck behind her nudged her forward with a rough shove. Muttering to herself about rudeness as she rubbed her rather sore back, Astrid stumbled through the wave of people, trying to lie low and blend in with the crowd. She stuck to the middle of the herd, crouching low as they ground to a halt in front of Dumbledore, the hall rife with nervous chatter and excitement. Astrid once again found herself tuning out as Dumbledore said a few introductory words before some tatty old hat began to sing. Astrid felt too sick with nerves to marvel in sheer amazement at the worn and frayed hat, paying it little attention. Eventually it cawed its last note and the hall erupted in applause, students rising to their feet and howling excitedly. Dumbledore raised his hand, signalling for quiet and the hall piped down immediately, settling into silence, before he spoke again.

"Now before we begin the sorting of the first years," He started, peering at the waiting crowd over the top of his spectacles, "We must first sort the brand new seventh year student we have joining us for her final year of school,"

Hushed whispers darted from person to person seated at the tables as the first years parted like the red sea, exposing Astrid. Dumbledore looked over to McGonagall who was staring intently at a crumpled piece of parchment, her gaze roaming the page. Without raising her head, she suddenly bellowed, "Black, Astrid,"

All eyes were on Astrid as she felt her knees turn to jelly, buckling beneath her as she staggered forward, almost tripping over her own feet as she felt hundreds of gazes boring into the back of her. Her stomach was shredded to pieces, tearing itself apart from the inside as her heart thumped against her chest, threatening to burst through her ribcage. Swallowing the lump rising in her throat, she felt the colour rise in her flushed cheeks, heat flaming across her face. She kept her gaze down, avoiding eye contact as embarrassment flickered through her eyes. Stumbling forward, she felt her heart beating in her throat, rising higher and higher, and the blood began to swell in her ears, rushing around her head in a dizzying wave. Her stomach knotted itself over and over, tangling itself into a ball as she wiped her sweaty palms on her robes, her hands clammy. Shakily, she lowered herself onto the wooden stool and reluctantly looked up, staring out into the sea of faces staring back at her. Her vision blurred, a sickness rising within her as all eyes remained on her, their gazes unwavering. The pressure of getting into Slytherin was suffocating.

_You're being stupid, _her inner voice taunted, _be confident, smile and act like you run the place, use this to your advantage,_ the voice advised as Astrid gave a slight nod in agreement with herself, plastering a confident smile on her face as she steadied her gaze. After an excruciating pause, one that had Astrid's innards writhing, struggling to get out, McGonagall placed the dusty hat on her head.

_"Ah, a Black I see,_" a voice murmured in her ear, making her jump out of her skin, _"Slytherin is the obvious choice, you show all the obvious traits that your family did before you...determination, cunning, ambition, resourcefulness..."_ The voice paused, before continuing in a purr, _"But buried within you I see something else...bravery, the desire to rebel, courage...Yes, I know exactly where to put you."_ The voice paused once more, and Astrid closed her eyes, impatiently awaiting an answer when the hat suddenly bellowed, "Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindor table, adorned with banners and streamers of scarlet and gold, erupted in cheers, students rising to their feet as they clapped, whistling enthusiastically. A smile danced across Astrid's lips as she rose to her feet, her nerves having melted away.

_See, that wasn't so scary, now was it?_ A voice in her mind chirped, except this time it was not her own voice, but the familiar voice that had haunted her mind for years. These words sparked something within the girl, and it occurred to her that she was finally free, finally in a place where nobody knew her. She didn't have to be the shy and polite girl she had been raised to be, only speaking when spoken to, nor did she have to be the daughter of death eaters. No, here, she was the intriguing and confident mysterious stranger. Astrid smirked, confidence building within her as she realised she was going to do just fine at Hogwarts. After all, she _was_ a Black.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - Wow, I'm like an updating ninja. Reviews are appreciated.  
**

**I own nothing. **

The hall was alive with excitement as the feast began, students hungrily tearing into food as though they were starved as they chattered enthusiastically, babbling incoherently through mouthfuls of food, slurping their drinks noisily as they clanged cutlery together, talking over each other as they shared extravagant tales of their holidays. Twirling his food around his plate absently with his fork, Fred Weasley couldn't help but feel distracted, intrigued by the stranger sat at the end of the table. He was fascinated by the air of mystery surrounding the girl, who hadn't uttered more than a disinterested, but polite, 'thank you' upon being welcomed at the Gryffindor table. Her actions did nothing to quell his interest, sparking more fascination from him as he watched her sit, scraping her fork across her plate as her amused gaze roamed the room, drinking everything in as she behaved seemingly oblivious to the whispers surrounding her. He discreetly stared, peering at her over his goblet, taking in every inch of her appearance. Her hair was the first thing he noticed, her long raven tresses tumbling down her back in wild curls as she absently twirled an inky lock around her finger. The second thing he noticed was how luminous her pale skin was, a haunting glow surrounding it in the flickering candlelight as wax trickled down from the floating lights above. As if she knew he was she was being watched, her head suddenly jerked up, and her gaze focused on him. Her lips quirked up in a smirk as she held eye contact, and for the first time he noticed the amused glint in her wide, electric eyes, as if she knew something that he didn't. Smiling back, he raised his hand in a slight wave and she did the same, the corners of her lips tugging further upward, her eyes still glimmering with that mischievous glint.

The contact was suddenly broken with a tear when George roughly nudged Fred, slamming him into the disgruntled third year sat on his other side.

"Oi, what was that for, you git?" Fred shoved George in return, who merely laughed, while the third year student muttered an insult, shuffling further down the bench.

"You were away with the fairies mate," George chuckled, raising his hands in defence.

Fred flushed slightly, realising George was right.

"So what's got your wand in a twist?" George asked, an amused smirk on his face.

"I was just thinking about stuff. Important stuff." Fred shrugged.

"Ah yes, because you're so well known for thinking about deep philosophical stuff at the dinner table, aren't you?" George snorted.

"Shove off," Fred muttered, elbowing his twin as a grin spread across his own face.

George said nothing, instead he laughed again, shovelling a forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

Fred glanced over at the new girl once more, gaping in surprise when he saw that not only had that slimy git Malfoy approached her in the time he'd been looking away, but that they were seemingly deep in conversation, the smirk having been wiped from the girls face.

Draco sneered something inaudible and in a flash the girl had her wand digging into his throat, her lips curled into a snarl. Malfoy smirked and nodded towards the teacher's table, both Fred and the girls gazes following to see the toad from the ministry watching closely. Reluctantly, the girl lowered her wand and hissed something darkly, though Fred was unable to catch any of her scathing insult as she rose to her feet and strode out of the hall without another word.

Draco flushed red; looking around in embarrassment to see if any Gryffindors had heard. When his eyes locked with Fred's, Fred simply smirked, causing Draco to stalk off angrily, returning to his oblivious lackeys, who remained planted at the Slytherin table, messily shoving handfuls of food into their mouths with their grubby fingers, washing it down with greedy slurps from their goblets. Fred took one brief look at the door, bemused as to what had gone on between the girl and Malfoy. She certainly was something different, he thought, before shaking his head and launching into conversation with George and Lee Jordan, cramming all thoughts of the girl in a box and pushing it to the back of his mind.

~MischiefMismanagedMischiefMismanagedMischiefMismanaged~

Astrid Black was ticked off.

Fury pulsed within her, white-hot rage coursing through her veins as she stomped through the deserted corridors, grumbling about all the ways she could murder Malfoy.

Her guard had been down when the twit had approached her, her mind elsewhere as she distractedly watched the red haired boy opposite her, wondering why he was blatantly staring her way. That wasn't the kind of social etiquette she'd been taught. Draco had clearly noticed the opportunity to approach her, and had seized the chance to saunter over; his head held high as arrogance oozed from every pore.

"A Gryffindor, how rich!" He'd bit out a harsh laugh, pulling her attention to him.

"I fail to see the humour in that." She'd replied coldly, her wavering smile quickly beginning to fade.

"Wait till your parents hear about this – they'll disown you!" He chortled, a satisfied grin twisting his features.

"Oh, will they now?" Astrid arched a brow, looking the pompous boy up and down, "Just because I'm not a Slytherin like dear ickle Draco?"

"Of course! You'll be the biggest disappointment to the Black family since that filthy blood traitor sister of my mother married a muggle, you might even be as bad as Sirius Black!" Draco sneered, leering over the girl.

As the venomous words spilled from his lips, Astrid snapped, all rational thoughts grinding to a halt as she roughly grabbed him by the collar and whipped out her wand, ready to hex him into next Tuesday.

She'd watched, a sick satisfaction boiling inside her, as fear flickered in his eyes, etched all over his face. Within a second, it was gone; his wide-eyed terror replaced with a smug smirk as he diverted her attention to Dolores Umbridge, the sickly sweet ministry worker, who had her beady eyes trained on the pair, a sickening grin spread across her toad-like face. Frustrated, Astrid huffed; irritation marking her face as she slowly lowered her wand, tucking it away. She released the balled up fabric from her grip, sending Draco stumbling backwards as he chuckled, brushing himself off. A revolting grin marred his face. Anger bubbled within her, her muscles tensing as she leaned close to him, her eyes narrowed as she coldly looked at the boy with contempt.

"If you ever say that again, I will not hesitate to use an unforgivable curse on you, you snot-nosed, pompous, little git." She'd hissed, her words coated in spite. Draco's cheeks flushed pink as she pushed him away from her, disgust rippling through the girl. Draco opened his mouth to speak, but she'd already flounced out of the hall before he'd managed to stutter a single syllable.

Now, as she paced the quiet corridor, she shook with fury, her heart pounding in her chest as she struggled to calm herself.

"How dare he compare me to Sirius Black? I'm no murderer!" She spat in disgust, thinking of the last Black that was sorted into Gryffindor. The only Black, for that matter. Well, not anymore.

_As good as_, the familiar voice piped up, _how is watching your death eater family kill while you sit and do nothing any different from casting the spell yourself?_

"Oh sod off," Astrid muttered darkly, answering aloud. She waited for a smart-arsed retort, but it never came. The voice remained silent.

_Oh, the silent treatment now? Real mature, _she thought to herself, goading a response, but the voice still said nothing.

Sighing, Astrid flopped down on the cold stone floor, stretching her legs out in front of her as she rested her head back against the wall. Despite the fact that she was absolutely livid with that arrogant tosspot Draco, she couldn't help but feel grateful that he'd seemingly forgotten about another relative, much closer to home, that had been disowned much more recently. She knew that if Draco had rubbed that in, comparing her to _him_, she would have lost it, then and there. Exhaling, her mind began to wander back to Draco's words, and she began to question whether he was right. Would her family disown her? From the moment the hat had bellowed a name that most certainly wasn't Slytherin, she knew her parents would be ashamed, embarrassed and most likely furious, but it had never crossed her mind that they would go as far as disowning her. Astrid quickly shook this thought from her mind. She sighed once more, closing her eyes and tilting her head back as it dawned on her that she had no idea where the Gryffindor tower was.

After a moment of soaking in the silence, she groaned and rose to her feet, dusting herself off. Chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully, bathed in the soft glow that illuminated the stone corridor, she began retracing her steps back to the Great Hall in search of someone to point her in the right direction. This was going to be a long year.

~MischiefMismanagedMischiefMismanagedMischiefMismanaged~

The Gryffindor common room was like nothing Astrid had ever seen before. Banners and garlands of gold and scarlet were draped across the dimly lit room, which was crammed tightly with plush crimson armchairs and cosy sofas, all surrounding a roaring fireplace, with tables and chairs dotted across the room, dim table lamps sat on top of them. Students were spread across the room – sprawled out on the sofas; curled up under thick, scarlet blankets; leaning against the tables as they all talked animatedly. Astrid had never felt so far from home.

As her gaze roamed the room, her mind was pulled back to thoughts of her cold and unwelcoming home at Thornwood Manor, residence of the esteemed Black family, where the sparsely filled rooms contained sleek, uninviting furniture of little comfort, set in shades of deep emerald and slate. This was a whole new world for her. Never in her life had she been in a place that looked so, for lack of a better word, _homely_.

Astrid was snapped out of her daze and brought back to reality with a dull thud by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind her, a hand gently tapping her shoulder. She whirled around to find herself face to face with three girls, all of whom were looking at her expectantly.

"Yes?" She raised an inquisitive brow, waiting for them to speak.

"Hi, I'm Angelina Johnson," The middle girl, the one that had tapped Astrid, spoke first, beaming as Astrid looked her up and down sceptically.

"And I'm Katie," The girl on her left piped up, jerking a thumb at the third girl, "That's Alicia."

"Oh, hello," Astrid spoke slowly, still bewildered as to why they had approached her, "I'm Astrid, Astrid Black."

"As in _Sirius Black_?" Alicia asked, finally finding her voice, gaping at Astrid with wide, fearful eyes.

Angelina nudged Alicia, elbowing her in the ribcage to silence her as she noted Astrid's flushed cheeks.

"Anyways," Angelina swiftly changed the subject, "We wanted to introduce ourselves since McGonagall says you'll be sharing a room with us," She smiled kindly, and Astrid could see that it was genuine.

"Oh, well isn't that dandy," Astrid replied, itching to get away, disinterest creeping into her voice as she scanned the room. She never had been good at focusing, her attention span equal to that of a flobberworm. Besides, she didn't care much for her peers. She'd never quite seemed to click with them.

"So, what school did you go to before? I'm guessing it wasn't Beauxbatons, otherwise we would have seen you here last year for the Triwizard Tournament." Katie struck up conversation, and the three girls all looked to Astrid, awaiting a response.

_Beauxbatons? Sounds pretentious, _the voice let out a derisive snort.

_It's French, you moron,_ Astrid shot back.

"My mother home-schooled me." Astrid answered finally, pushing the voice to the back of her mind.

"What made this year different?" Angelina asked, her curiosity sparked.

"I finally wore my mother down with my constant begging for her to let me come here." Astrid lied airily.

_Liar liar, pants on fire,_ the voice cheerfully chirped.

_There's no need to tell them my parent's nonsense views about Dumbledore being corrupt,_ she defended internally.

"Oh, well I'm sure you'll love it here!" Katie said excitedly, "Just stick with us and you'll be fine,"

"Sounds great," Astrid felt a smile tugging at her lips. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe making friends wouldn't be so hard after all. Just maybe.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - Getting no feedback is rather disconcerting, wouldn't you say? If you like it, review it (please?). If you don't like it, just don't keep reading. Simple.  
**

**Sadly, I am not JK Rowling and therefore, I own nothing.**

Diagon Alley was heaving, throngs of people ambling forward in a herd as noise filled the air. A young girl, no more than eleven, darted through the crowd, shoving past witches and wizards laden with bags, calling insincere apologies over her shoulder as her hair swept behind her. She halted outside her desired location, bouncing excitedly on her heels.

"Come on! Hurry up!" She called out to the boy that was trailing behind her, her face pink with barely controlled glee, "Could you possibly be any slower?"

"Why yes, yes I could." The older boy smirked, dramatically moving in slow motion as grumbling pedestrians pushed past him.

"Come on!" The girl cried out impatiently, her voice bubbling with excitement as she dived into the shop, stumbling through the threshold. Chuckling, the boy followed.

The boy watched in amusement, leaning back against a shelf, as the girl wobbled on her toes, peering over the edge of the counter.

"Ah, I was expecting you," A seemingly ancient man, with smiling eyes and unkempt hair, appeared over the other side of the counter, "I still remember selling your parents their wands,"

"Really? But that must have been _ages_ ago! They're so _old_!" The girl exclaimed without thinking and the boy stifled a laugh.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, my dear." The man replied, smiling kindly at the young girl.

"That sounds like a waste of memory if you ask me." The girl replied, blowing her fringe out of her eyes as she stared up at the old man.

The man simply chuckled and disappeared behind a shelf, swallowed up by the darkness.

The girl turned to the boy, her brow furrowed, bafflement etched across her face, "He's a rather peculiar man."

"He's _eccentric_." The boy corrected the younger girl.

"Eccentric is just another way of saying loony." She shot back.

A laugh escaped the boy's lips, and he simply chortled in response to her remark.

Grinning, she opened her mouth to speak when the old man suddenly reappeared, clearing his throat and incessantly tapping her shoulder until she whirled around.

"Try this one – oak, unicorn hair core, ten inches exactly, bendy..." The man held out his palm, in which a wand rested.

Nervously, the girl picked it up with a shaking hand, before looking back up at the old man, "What do I do?"

"Just swish and flick." He responded, his warm gaze settling her nerves.

Taking a deep breath, she flicked her wrist, red sparks shooting from the tip of the wand, singing the old man's eyebrows.

The boy snorted, raising a hand to his mouth to stifle his laughter as the girls eyes widened in horror.

"I-I'm really so-sorry..." She stuttered an apology, hastily slamming the wand down on the counter before she could do more damage.

"Not that one then." The man simply said, a faint smile playing on his lips as he placed the wand back in its box, "Never mind, let's try another one, shall we?"

The girl nodded lamely, before glancing over her shoulder to the boy, who was watching her intently, amusement flickering in his eyes. Smirking, he gave her a lazy thumbs up and she couldn't help but smile at him in return, a blush dusting her cheeks.

"How about this?" The elder man interrupted her thoughts, thrusting a second box at her, "Holly with a phoenix feather core, twelve and three quarter inches, slightly springy...give it a try."

The girl nodded, tentatively removing the sleek wand from its box and curling her fingers around the wood.

"Swish and flick," She instructed herself in a whisper, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath as she swished the wand upward. Suddenly, everything flashed white; and then it was gone.

Astrid's eyes shot open, her hand darting to her pounding chest as she bolted upright, tangled in a mess of crumpled sheets. Panting, she ran her fingers through her knotted hair, which was plastered to her forehead with sweat. Blearily, she looked around the room with bloodshot eyes. Silver tinted streaks of moonlight filtered into the room through the towering windows, bathing the room in silver and illuminating the crumpled scarlet bedsheets. Her wide eyes darted from bed to bed, her heart fiercely beating in her mouth, rising in her throat as it threatened to pierce through her chest. Sighing, she wearily raised a hand to her scorching forehead, the only sound filling her ears being the thumping of her heartbeat as swells of blood rushed through her brain. Weakly, she shook her head, freeing herself of the dream. She smoothed her creased pyjamas as her accelerated heart rate began to slow. The other girls remained sound asleep, breathing evenly as they burrowed their heads into their pillows, clutching their duvets to their chests tightly. The low whistle of Katie's quiet snores filled the air, interrupted every so often by the soft snorts that erupted from Alicia as she tossed and turned.

"It was just a dream," Astrid whispered into the darkness, her head falling back against the pillow as she tugged the duvet up to her chin. She closed her eyes, scrunching them tight as her dark hair fanned out around her. But inside she knew, no matter how many times she told herself it was a dream, it'd always be a memory.

~MischiefMismanagedMischiefMismanagedMischiefMismanaged~

The Great Hall was packed when a bleary eyed Astrid Black stumbled through the open doors towards the end of breakfast. Several heads swivelled round to watch her as students nudged their friends, whispers echoing around the room. Raking her fingers through her unruly hair, her eyes scanned the Gryffindor table, looking for a place to sit. Her roommates were noticeably absent, and it occurred to her that they'd said they were planning on going to the Library after breakfast in search of a book Alicia had forgotten to pack in her trunk. Angelina had politely invited her to join them, but the only response that her mouth was able to form was 'sod off, I'm sleeping'. In hindsight, her reply wasn't exactly out of line. After all, she had been happily asleep, contently caught in a dreamless state, when she'd felt someone shaking her, roughly nudging her shoulder. Groaning, she'd reluctantly opened one eye to see Katie looming over her, peering at her with an unreadable expression as she shoved her once more.

"Finally! We've been trying to wake you for ages!" Katie exclaimed, jumping back to dodge Astrid's attempt to swat her away.

"I'm tired." Astrid mumbled, burying her face in a pillow, hugging it close.

"It's time for breakfast though," Katie pointed out, tapping her watch, "If you don't hurry we'll be late."

Astrid reluctantly raised her head, stifling a yawn as she stretched her arms out, "Go without me,"

"Are you sure?" Angelina asked, folding her pyjamas and tucking them under her pillow.

"Absolutely." Astrid's head drooped once more.

"Well, we're going to the library after we eat to get a book out for Alicia, it'd be really nice if you'd join us." Angelina continued, now crouching down to tie her shoelaces.

"I'll see you in lessons." Astrid's voice was muffled as she tugged the duvet over her head, "Now sod off, I'm sleeping."

Sighing, Angelina held her hands up in defeat and the other girls giggled, quietly retreating out of the room.

Now, Astrid was kicking herself for not getting her lazy arse out of bed, faced with the dilemma of being alone. Holding her head high, she approached the table, perching on the end of the bench. Eyeing up the array of food spread across the table, she lifted a nearby jug, absently pouring its contents into an empty goblet. She brought the goblet to her lips, taking a whiff of the strong scent of the beverage, and took a dainty sip. _Pumpkin juice,_ she thought as the refreshing liquid tickled the back of her throat, _oi, what I'd give for some firewhiskey right about now_.

_Firewhiskey?_ The voice piped up, seemingly chipper_, steady on, Ast, it's only just gone eight in the morning!_

Sighing, her gaze scanned the room as she took a larger gulp of her drink. Swallowing hard, she locked eyes with the red haired boy she'd spotted at dinner yesterday. She wondered why he seemed to have a fascination with watching her as she set down her goblet, waiting for him to make the first move. He grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief, and she felt herself smiling back as she challenged him, daring him to look away first. He did, turning to whisper something to his twin, who was busy shovelling scrambled eggs into his mouth, yolk dribbling down his chin. His twin smirked at whatever the boy had said, roughly wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, and looked her way. His gaze hovered over her for a moment before he turned back to the first twin and shook his head. The first twin simply shrugged, a grin spreading across his face, and took a greedy bite of the slice of toast he'd been waving around. Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, Astrid pondered what the twins could have been talking about, and more importantly, how it involved her. Shrugging it off, she swiped a blueberry muffin from the platter in front of her, tossing it in the air and catching it again.

_That's impressive_, the voice said sarcastically, teasing her, _how about you try eating it instead?_

_Oh shut it_, she retorted, taking a greedy bite of the muffin, crumbs spilling over her lap.

_Someone's crabby._

_I told you to put a sock in it_, she thought back, chewing thoughtfully as she mulled over a better comeback. The voice remained silent, seemingly surrendering as Astrid polished off her muffin, her mind drifting elsewhere as she considered her classes for the day. Glancing around the hall, she caught sight of Draco, who was staring at her as if he'd walked into a particularly rotten smell. She frowned as she watched him excuse himself from his friends and saunter towards her. _Oh frick._ Without hesitation, she swung her legs over the bench, rising to her feet as she brushed the lingering crumbs from her clothes, and dashed out of the hall without a second glance.

~MischiefMismanagedMischiefMismanagedMischiefMismanaged~

Fred Weasley watched the retreating back of the new girl, Astrid Black, as she leapt to her feet, almost spilling over her goblet, its contents splashing over the rim, and hastily darted out of the hall. She'd looked rather worse for wear this morning, her bleary eyes bloodshot as she yawned sleepily into the back of her hand. She'd caught his attention rather quickly, strutting into the hall decked out in uniform sloppy enough to make him proud – her swishing robes were open, revealing her creased and unkempt white shirt, untucked over a very blatantly rolled up school skirt that grazed her mid-thigh. Beneath the skirt, she wore thick, black and white striped tights, her look rounded off with her loosely knotted scarlet and gold tie and chunky, black, lace-up boots. He'd caught her attention rather quickly too, it seemed, her lips quirking up in a smile when she noticed him, her blue eyes lighting up her face. He didn't really know where the intrigue came from with this girl, but he knew he wanted to know more.

Breaking eye contact with her, he had turned to George, who was noisily slurping a generous helping of scrambled eggs off of his fork, and had nudged him in the side.

"She wants me," He'd whispered to his twin, a smug grin spreading across his face as he flicked his eyes towards the new girl, directing George.

Smirking, George set his fork down with a clatter, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, and looked over at the new girl. His eyes lingered on her for a few seconds as he pondered what Fred had said. Tearing his gaze away from her, he turned back to his brother, his smirk growing wider as he shook his head.

"No way, mate." He chuckled, "You haven't got a chance."

Fred simply shrugged, brushing off the comment, and took a bite of his toast, his smile unwavering.

Now, Draco Malfoy stood only a few feet away, gaping at the spot Astrid had just occupied.

"Careful Malfoy, you'll catch flies," Fred called across the table, smirking.

Draco's mouth snapped shut, his head whipping around to locate the voice. His gaze settled on Fred and his eyes narrowed, a look of utter contempt marring his features, "Weasley." He said haughtily, his nose pointed in the air.

"Yes?" Both Fred and George answered, identical grins spread across their faces.

"Should have known you wouldn't be able to keep your filthy trap shut." Malfoy responded, his voice laced with disdain.

"Should have known you would take to harassing innocent girls." Fred retorted without missing a beat.

"Does the word creepy mean anything to you?" George chimed in.

Malfoy flushed, his cheeks tinged a light pink, his eyes wide, before hastily composing himself, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Really?" Fred arched a brow, taking a bite of his toast, "Because it seems like you just can't get enough of the new girl."

"Jealous are we?" Malfoy sneered, "Want her all for yourself, Weasley?"

"Of course not," Fred responded, swallowing his mouthful.

"Just as well. As if she'd give _filth_ like you the time of day." Malfoy responded, a smug smirk spread across his face, before marching back to the Slytherin table.

"What an utter git," George muttered, spearing a piece of bacon with his fork.

"Couldn't agree more, Forge, couldn't agree more." Fred replied, nodding his head in agreement and returning to his breakfast.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Hi guys! Thanks for the follows/favourites and for the lovely reviews from potterandchocolate and ugheunice - they made my day :) **

**I know you're probably thinking that I'm going update crazy, but it's just because I've already got a fair sized chunk of the story written up and I feel like my chapters are so short that posting one at a time just isn't really much of a worthwhile update. Although I will say that the updates will start to slow down after maybe around 10 chapters are posted. **

**For all you Fred and George lovers out there, you're in luck - you'll be seeing a hell of a lot of them from here on out, much more than the brief glimpses of them you've had so far. **

**You know the drill - reviews are like crack to me and are greatly appreciated. Right, enough rambling. Enjoy! :)**

**I own nothing. Well, I own my OC. So I own one thing.**

Astrid Black ambled into Defence Against the Dark Arts precisely two minutes and thirty-four seconds late due to getting lost while searching for the blasted classroom, misguidedly taking directions from that bloody poltergeist Peeves.

"Ah, Miss Black, glad you decided to _finally_ join us," Professor Umbridge sneered, her tone sickeningly sweet.

_Be confident_, the voice murmured.

"You know us Blacks; we like to make an entrance." Astrid replied boldly, still in a rotten mood because of Draco, holding the teacher's gaze as she slid into the nearest free seat. Murmurs rippled through the classroom as students swivelled round in their seats to look at the girl in shock over her outright rudeness. Ignoring them, Astrid reached into her bag, pulling out a sheet of fresh parchment, along with her wand.

A girlish giggle tumbled from Umbridge's lips, "Oh, you won't be needing that, dear. This is a magic free zone."

"Ah, I see, learning magic without practising magic – the old fashioned approach." Astrid remarked dryly, tucking her wand back into her satchel.

"Now, I'll have you know, I will not tolerate such rudeness in my classroom." Umbridge cawed shrilly, pointing a chubby finger at Astrid in warning.

Astrid loathed this woman already.

"I will not tolerate such rudeness in my classroom," She mimicked in a high-pitched voice, laughter erupting throughout the room.

_Are you looking to get expelled, Ast?_ The voice hissed in her ear.

_You told me to be confident_, she shot back, _I'm just being myself and acting on instinct. What would you suggest? Besides, she's even more loathsome than you are._

Anger flared in the professor's eyes, an ugly sneer spreading across her fat face, "That's it!" She hollered, "Detention, tomorrow evening, six o'clock sharp."

"It's a date," Astrid smirked, leaning her seat back on its hind legs, propping her feet up on the desk. More giggles rattled around the room as Umbridge clenched her fists, her face growing a vibrant beetroot.

_What are you doing?_ The voice asked incredulously.

_I'm winging it,_ Astrid shrugged internally.

_Stop it, stop it now before you get hexed into oblivion._

_She won't hex me,_ Astrid responded reasonably.

_I'm not so sure. You know, as proud of I am of your ballsiness, you need to put a sock in it_, the voice whispered back, _look, the vein in her forehead is about to pop._

"Please, don't let me interrupt your teaching," Astrid piped up finally, gesturing for the teacher to continue with a wave of her hand, "Go ahead and continue."

_Now you've done it._

Professor Umbridge scrunched her eyes shut, contorting her face into an ugly, twisted mess, and took several deep breaths, calming herself.

"Miss Black, I think it would be prudent to make you serve a double detention, wouldn't you agree?" She spoke finally, a scarily false smile plastered on her face.

"Whatever you say, miss." Astrid responded, giving a mock-salute.

_Yep, you're an idiot._

~MischiefMismanagedMischiefMismanagedMischiefMismanaged~

The rest of the morning dragged on in a dull, uneventful blur, with Astrid keeping her mouth zipped as she stuck to the shadows, avoiding a repeat of the Umbridge fiasco. Eventually, seas of students poured into the corridors, the chatter filling the air sounding the beginning of lunch as the herd swayed towards the Great Hall, heads bobbing up and down, dark robes swishing in the draught creeping through the castle. Astrid was wandering through the hall alone, pushing her way through the thick crowd of people as she elbowed past a gaggle of snide Slytherin's that she recognised to be some of Draco's drones, when she caught sight of Angelina up ahead, descending the staircase leading to the Divination classroom.

"Angelina!" She called out, jumping up and down and waving maniacally to grab the girl's attention as she slid through narrow gaps in the crowd, dashing to catch up.

The girl looked up, whirling around at the cry of her name, and her brow furrowed as her gaze scanned the heaving corridor. Hurrying, Astrid's foot got tangled up in an unsuspecting Ravenclaw's robes, and she fumbled to regain her balance, stumbling over the fabric as she crashed into a surprised Angelina, who caught the unsteady girl.

_Smooth. Real smooth_, the voice piped up.

"That was quite an entrance," Angelina giggled, propping Astrid upright.

"Seems like I'm making a lot of those today," Astrid returned the smile, somewhat ruefully, as her mind flickered back to Defence Against the Dark Arts.

"It was well worth it though!" Angelina hooted with laughter, grinning at the memory, "The look on Umbridge's face when you started answering her back was a picture!"

"Maybe I'll get it framed," Astrid's lip quirked upwards.

"From what I've heard, you're not the only one that's stuck with detention with that frilly toad."

"Who else dared talk back to her then?" Astrid asked curiously.

Angelina glanced around the crowd, scanning for eavesdroppers, and lowered her voice to a hushed tone as she spoke, "Apparently she gave Harry Potter a detention tonight for saying You-Know-Who is back!"

"Really?" Astrid's eyes widened in shock. Who knew Harry had it in him to get detention on the first day?

Angelina nodded grimly.

"That's ridiculous," Astrid scoffed, "Freedom of speech and all that jazz,"

Angelina nodded, murmuring in agreement, as the horde reached the entrance to the Great Hall, filing inside.

"Thankfully, she'll probably only make you write lines," Angelina piped up once they were comfortably sat at the table.

"My favourite pastime," Astrid replied dryly, earning a chortle from Angelina.

"You're rather funny, do you know that?" Angelina said once she'd calmed her laughter.

Astrid looked at the girl in surprise, unsure of whether she was being serious or not. Nobody had called her funny in years, not since her family had broken her, robbing her of all sense of fun. Her parents weren't the type for jokes anyway.

"Really? I'm not all that amusing..."

"Oh shut it," Angelina cut her off, smiling good-naturedly, "You've made me laugh, haven't you? And didn't you make a whole classroom full of students laugh earlier, or was that someone else?"

Astrid smiled shyly, "I guess the class _did_ laugh,"

"Damn right they did!" Angelina grinned, and Astrid sensed that this was a girl was someone that was popular amongst everyone; she had to be, being as friendly as she was.

Astrid opened her mouth to speak when she was distracted by someone's weight plopping down on the bench beside her, someone else following suit on her other side.

"What's this about making people laugh?"

"Our ears are burning!"

The pair spoke in unison, their voices mashing together, and Astrid looked up to see the red-haired twins either side of her, squishing her into some kind of human sandwich, their faces dominated by identical grins.

"Seems like your heads have inflated over the summer," Angelina grinned, "We're not talking about you, I'm afraid."

Both boys gasped in mock surprise.

"Are you saying that - ..."

"Our heads are oversized -..."

"Due to our perfectly normal sized egos?" They finished together; mock outrage etched across their freckled faces.

"I'll have you know Miss Johnson; my head is a very healthy, normal size. Him, on the other hand..." One twin piped up, jerking a thumb at his brother as a grin spread across his face.

"Hey!" The second twin interrupted, reaching over to whack the first while the two girls giggled.

"So, who is this supposedly hilarious person you were gossiping about?" Twin number one asked Angelina, batting twin number two away as Astrid looked from boy to boy, discreetly searching for distinguishable differences. She noticed how the one on her left, twin number two, had a miniscule mole dotted on his neck, and as he shot her a toothy grin she noted that his teeth were slightly more crooked than his brothers; aside from that, they were identical to the last freckle.

"Astrid, of course!" Angelina gestured to the girl opposite her, a wide smile plastered across her face, "You saw her in Umbridge's class – it was brilliant!"

"Ah yes, that _was_ quite the scene," Twin number one turned his attention to Astrid, "Pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Black,"

"Oh, the pleasure's all mine," She played along, smiling coyly. In the pit of her stomach she felt the strangest sensation, and as their eyes locked, she strongly suspected that he was the twin that had taken to engaging in staring contests with her at mealtimes.

"Oi, get a room, you two," Twin number two scoffed.

Chuckling, twin number one thrust his hand at Astrid, which she politely took, shaking it, "George Weasley."

"No, _I'm _George! He's Fred." Twin number two interrupted and shoved twin number one.

"No, _he's _Fred." Twin number one shot back, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Oh, give it a rest!" Angelina rolled her eyes as she reached over the table to swat both boys. Settling back in her seat, she gave a satisfied smirk as the pair rubbed their arms, grumbling about violence.

"On your right, that's Fred," Angelina informed Astrid, pointing at twin number one, "And on your left, that's George."

Astrid nodded, filing away this, along with the few discrete physical differences she'd noticed between the two, away in her memory.

"So, you're the famous Weasley twins I've heard so much about?" Astrid arched a brow, looking from one to the other.

"Hear that, George?" Fred nudged his brother, "We're famous!"

"Practically celebrities, Fred," George added, grinning.

"Hold the applause," Fred continued, earning a snort from Angelina, who was watching the pair with amused interest, rolling an apple across the table.

Astrid giggled, producing a torn and crumpled square of parchment from her robes, "I'm such a big fan," She joked, waving the parchment around, "Can I get an autograph?"

Chuckling, Fred responded, "You'll have to get in line,"

"We've already queues of girls fawning over us," George added.

"You wish," Angelina interjected, smirking as she rose to her feet, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I promised Alicia that I'd meet her in the library," Tossing the apple in the air, she gave the trio a wave. Astrid gave her a quizzical look, aware that Alicia was down at the lake with Katie, but Angelina just merely grinned in return, shooting Astrid a wink and biting her apple as she skipped away.

"So, Miss Black, how about we take you on a tour of the castle?" Fred jumped to his feet, rocking the bench, and offered her his hand, with George following suit.

Casting aside any nerves bubbling within her, Astrid smiled widely, taking both of their outstretched hands to get to her feet, "I'd be honoured."


	6. Chapter 6

**Another update? So soon? I know, I know, I'm spoiling you. It's just in my nature.**

**Review and I'll give you a puppy. **

Astrid kept silent as she followed the twins through the deserted, winding corridors, straining to listen to their hushed whispers as they exchanged mischievous grins, frequently glancing back at her to check she was still there. She found herself almost having to jog to keep up with their long strides, almost tripping over her robes every so often as they flowed around her ankles. Blinding beams of golden sunlight filtered in through the open windows, which were concealed beneath a thin layer of dust, highlighting the swirls of lint and dust dancing through the air, floating gracefully downward. The warmth struck Astrid's face, lighting it with heat as her skin glowed. The early September sunshine was strong, and as she peered out of the windows, she saw students dotted across the grounds like ants, sprawled across the luscious grass as they soaked themselves in light, lapping up the remaining minutes of their lunch break. Luckily for Astrid, she didn't have any more lessons that day, and it appeared that the twins didn't either.

The twins suddenly ground to a halt at what appeared to be a dead end, whirling around to face Astrid with matching lopsided grins as she raised a brow, peering around them to look at the solid wall behind them.

"_Impressive_ tour, boys," She started sarcastically, blowing a stray curl of hair out of her eyes, "What next, are you going to show me the famous Hogwarts broom cupboard? Or how about the legendary stain on the carpet of the common room?"

The twins merely exchanged a glance, their smiles growing wider.

"Now, Astrid, what we're about to show you - ..."

"Is top secret, so - ..."

"You can't tell a soul about it - ..."

"Otherwise, we'll have to - ..."

"Hex you." The pair finished in perfect sync, their grins unwavering.

"Okay..." Astrid said slowly, looking at the twins sceptically, "Should I be concerned?"

The boys simply chuckled in response, and Astrid watched in bafflement as they strode up to a rather tacky, rusting statue at the end of the corridor. Glancing shiftily down the corridor, Fred raised his wand, tapping the statue with its tip as he muttered something inaudible. Astrid watched in wide-eyed fascination as all of a sudden the statue sprung to life, swinging forward to reveal a gaping hole in the wall, the pitch black trail of the passageway stretching on eternally.

Astrid let out a whistle, stepping forward as she peered at the statue curiously, "Okay, now I'm impressed."

"Now the fun can really begin," George grinned, "Come on," Without another word he disappeared into the hole, followed by Fred, with Astrid hurriedly following behind as the statue swung shut behind her, cutting off the rectangle of light.

"_Lumos_," She whispered, the tip of her wand illuminating the bleak, narrow passage. Fred and George followed suit, the sudden burst of light almost blinding Astrid as she shielded her eyes. Stifling laughs, the twins began to lead her further into the darkness.

"So, where exactly are you taking me?" She inquired as they crept through the passageway, her fingertips grazing the uneven wall as she guided herself.

"We're taking you on a tour, aren't we?" Fred responded, grinning at her over his shoulder.

"And where does this tour lead?" Astrid tried again.

"You'll see!" George called back to her cheerfully.

"That's comforting," She muttered, earning a few chuckles from the twins.

"Somebody's grumpy," George quipped.

"I'll have you know, I'm not grumpy, I'm...- Woah!" Astrid cried out, arms flailing as she stumbled over a jagged rock jutting from the dusty ground. She crashed into an unsuspecting Fred, who in turn ended up bumping into George, the result being a tangle of limbs piled on the floor, shaking with muffled laughter.

"Graceful, apparently." Astrid jokingly finished her sentence as the twins laughed through their pained groans. Fred rolled off of the pile first, falling to his knees with a thud, before he stood up, brushing his robes down, and offered Astrid his hand. Grinning, she took it, allowing herself to be tugged to her feet by the beaming boy. Dusting herself off, she giggled as George jolted upright, rubbing his arm as he grumbled about being squashed.

"You're quite the ballerina, aren't you?" Fred smirked at the girl as he helped his brother to his feet.

"Who'd have thought it – Astrid Black: world's biggest klutz," George added, retrieving his wand.

"Should have warned me about the rock then," Astrid shot back, poking her tongue out at the duo.

Laughing, the trio continued onwards, joking and talking animatedly as they went.

"Our destination is just up ahead, Miss Black," George hollered over his shoulder.

"Then we're gonna have to bill you for the tour," Fred said, his grin betraying his mock serious tone.

"Cash only, please!" George added as they reached the bleak end of the tunnel. Astrid watched in curiosity, fascinated as George raised his wand, uttering an incomprehensible incantation as he waved the wand. With a jolt, the bricks whirred to life, separating slowly as the mould began to break, fragments of stray debris crumbling to the floor as a narrow gap formed, light filtering into the passageway as Astrid's eyes adjusted to the bright corridor.

"Where are we?" She asked, rubbing her eyes as she followed them out of the passage, glad to be back in the light.

"Sixth floor." The twins replied in unison.

"Sixth flo..- We made it up three floors using that passage?" Astrid inquired in disbelief.

Grinning, the twins nodded.

Astrid opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the echoing noise of footsteps approaching, the rhythmic beating of heavy boots pounding the stone rattling their ears. A towering shadow licked at the wall, crawling up it as it grew larger and larger with every mechanical step. The twins recognised the demonic shadow immediately, their eyes widening.

"Snape!" They hissed together, "Quick, run!"

"Why?" Astrid asked in confusion, her furrowed brows knitted together as each fierce step thundered through her head.

"We're supposed to be in class," Fred explained, whispering hurriedly as his hand latched around Astrid's arm, a faint grin playing on his lips as he tugged her back into the passageway just as Snape rounded the corner to the empty corridor. Taking no chances, the trio dashed through the passageway as the wall sealed behind them, the darkness overpowering as Fred's grip tightened around Astrid, George thundering on ahead. Astrid stumbled blindly, struggling to keep up with Fred's strides as he tugged her arm from its socket. Her vision was distorted, everything flashing by in a blur as they darted through the passageway, stumbling over nothing, rocking from side to side as her mind whizzed, the cogs whirring rapidly. Astrid's mind was alive, vivid images dancing through her head, scorching her brain as she ran, as she soared, feeling freer than she had in years. A delirious giggle tumbled freely from her lips, and before she could stop herself, she was laughing hysterically over nothing. The twins joined in, the three of them guffawing over some unknown joke as they reached the end of the tunnel, stumbling out through the wall as they clutched their aching sides, tears misting their eyes as they gasped for breath.

Hiccupping though hearty laughs, his eyes gleaming with mischief, Fred spoke, "Welcome to Hogwarts, Miss Black."

~MischiefMismanagedMischiefMismanagedMischiefMismanaged~

The Gryffindor common room was deserted later that day, with students outside bathing in the late afternoon sunshine to unwind after lessons. The blue sky was streaked with pink and splattered with orange as the golden orb hung low in the sky, weakly shining down on the Hogwarts grounds as the afternoon drew to a close. Astrid was sat atop a rickety, wooden desk, one of its legs propped up by a dusty, outdated book, peering out of the window, when the portrait hole swung open. She raised her head at the sound of chatter to see Angelina, Katie and Alicia clambering through the entrance, smiling brightly as they caught sight of her.

"Why hello there, Astrid," Angelina smiled coyly, tossing her bag on the floor as she hoisted herself up beside Astrid, "How was your afternoon?"

Alicia and Katie giggled as Angelina waggled her eyebrows suggestively, suppressing her own laughter as Astrid swatted her away, a grin dominating her features.

"Wouldn't you like to know," She laughed, lightly punching Angelina on the arm, "Why'd you ditch me, you tosspot?"

Angelina shrugged, a smirk tugging at her lips, "I was giving you a chance to get to know the twins for yourself."

"That was a genius idea." Astrid responded sarcastically.

"Well, you hit it off, didn't you?" Katie pointed out, flopping down on the seat closest to the desk.

Astrid pouted, knowing the girl was right.

"Well, I had fun, if that's what you're asking."

"And?" Alicia prompted, curling up at Katie's feet.

"And what?" Astrid arched a brow, leaning back on her palms.

"Well, what did you think of them?" Angelina stated as if it was the most obvious thing known to man.

"Did you like them?" Katie added.

"Do you think they're fit?" Alicia chirped excitedly.

"Jeez, I spend one hour with the pair and you three are already trying to marry me off to one." Astrid laughed with a wave of her hand, "They're interesting, that's all I'm saying."

"_Interesting_?" Alicia wrinkled her nose, "That's so _vague_."

"Oh, sorry, what I meant to say was they are so glorious that I just desperately want to ravish them whenever they're near. Honestly I don't know how much longer I'll be able to restrain myself until I lose control and tear the robes from their bodies with my teeth." Astrid replied, her words dripping in sarcasm. Angelina let out a loud cackle, throwing her head back as she laughed heartily and Alicia and Katie erupted in giggles, rolling about the floor.

"I bet that's half true." Angelina winked at Astrid, tears glazing her cheeks as she howled with uncontrollable laughter.

"Shove off," Astrid giggled, shoving Angelina.

"Pfft, give it a month and you'll be under their spell." Katie said, gasping for air as she clutched her aching stomach.

"They wish." Astrid snorted, sending the group into fits of laughter once again.

"Not full of yourself at all, are you?" Alicia joked, wiping the tears from her eyes with her sleeve.

"I'm a Black, what do you expect?" Astrid responded in a deadpan voice. Suddenly, she jumped to her feet, standing on the table with her hands on her hips, "We, of the Noble House of Black, pride ourselves in our ruthlessness, our cunning, and our _fabulous_ hair."

The other three girls couldn't contain themselves any longer, cawing out deranged cries of laughter as the clutched their sides. Astrid collapsed in a fit of giggles, falling into Angelina's lap as hysterical laughs bubbled up within them all, escaping their lips. They laughed and laughed, oblivious to the students filing into the common room, casting them odd glances, as they lapped up each other's company. For the first time in her life, Astrid Black had made friends.


End file.
